No Business Like Show Business

Michigan Tech's Visual and Performing Arts alumni are in the spotlight—and behind
it, from Cirque De Soleil to Radio City Music Hall. They bring audiobook characters
and Marvel Comics superheroes to life. They're aspiring stuntwomen, and international
ambassadors creating soundscapes for studios, stadiums and world-renowned concert
venues.

In St. Petersburg, Florida, 2014 Theatre and Electronic Media Performance graduate Paige Borel is training: aerial
arts classes, gymnastics, dance classes, and intensive workouts. "I'm passionate about
acting and stunt work, and I'm planning to attend and graduate from a stunt school
in the next year," says Borel, a lifelong dancer. "I always knew that I wanted to
have a career in the performing arts industry. When I enrolled at Tech I was a business
major. It was what my grandpa, Papa, thought would be sensible for me in the 'real
world.' " But the night before classes began her junior year, Borel spontaneously
added some VPA courses. By the end of the week she'd switched majors. Her favorite
classes at Michigan Tech were scene studies and performer flying. "Learning how to
fly, flip, and perform in harnesses paved the way for me to expand into becoming a
stuntwoman."

"Learning how to fly, flip, and perform in harnesses paved the way for me to expand
into becoming a stuntwoman."Paige Borel, '14

Somewhere in the US, 2015 visual and performing arts graduate Tyler Harry is on tour as assistant performance
rigger with Feld Entertainment's Marvel Universe Live: Age of Heroes. He joined the previous Marvel show when it toured Europe in August 2016. "The largest
part of my job is to make sure everything is safe to use because at the end of the
day I'm going to have someone's life in my hands. We had a little over two months
of building this show in the shop, which is in Florida, and started touring June 12.
We work our way from the west to east coast the next two years. I love my job right
now. Not only do I get to work in the field that I am most interested in, and travel
all around the world—I get to fly super heroes. Who else can say that? One of my best
moments during a show: one of my cues was to fly Spiderman on a line; he swings over
the audience. There was this little boy dressed up as Spiderman who jumped out of
his seat and reached up to wave to the real Spiderman. This little boy was jumping
up and down and grabbing his mom. I never realized until then how much I enjoy seeing
people so excited and so into the show I am working on."

"I love my job. Not only do I get to work in the field that I am most interested in,
travel all around the world—I get to fly super heroes!"Tyler Harry, 2015

In L'Anse, Michigan, 2016 theatre and electronic media performance graduate Dollcie Mueller fits in a
recording session for her fourth audiobook while her six-month-old daughter sleeps.
Mueller works from home in a sound-treated closet. "Me 'in action' consists of reading
the book, rereading it a chapter at a time, recording that chapter, and then spending
an hour or so editing on the computer before I submit it for the author to listen
to. I'd like to upgrade to a whisper room (an independent, essentially noise-canceling
room) but those cost thousands of dollars so right now I'm making do with quilts,
carpeting, and foam padding attached to the walls," she explains. "I have my mic hanging
over a heavy-duty music stand, running an XLR cable to my preamp in the main room.
It's a nice setup. I just pull up Reaper on the computer, click record, and take a
couple steps to the closet where I can start reading."

Dollcie Mueller in her sound-treated closet. "It looks a mess but it's effective,
and that's all that matters."

In New York City, 2007 sound design graduate Ken Showler is sipping an orange juice in his room at
the corner of 51st and 6th avenues, on break from site work at Radio City Music Hall.
"I'm working here for a few weeks with an awesome little team from my company, 7thSense,
and an Orlando-based AV integration/installation company called Pro Sound. We've hired
Pro Sound's support to help us finish fit out, wiring, and installation of a new house
video playback and distribution system at Radio City, utilized foremost for the Rockettes
shows. We've been fortunate to have an ongoing relationship with Radio City/MSG since
our company first delivered a handful of video servers back in 2011," says the 7thSense
chief experience officer, whose most memorable projects at Michigan Tech include the
Alan Parsons residency on campus: "Involvement in multiple nights of a huge live rock
show with full orchestra, with multi-channel studio record feeds, multi-camera video
coverage, in conjunction with pre-event and post-event documentary video coverage
of many practice sessions, interviews, Q&As, classroom sessions with the band and
techs."

No People Like Show People

No matter where they are, these Huskies credit faculty that works alongside them—and
leverages solid career and alumni networks—to open industry doors. "You have amazing
professors helping you out, they are there long into the night building the show with
you, so they know what's going on. Working so closely with your professors you become
colleagues, which is what they want it to be. So when you leave the VPA you know how
to work with people in your job," says Harry, who scored his job thanks to a fellow
VPA grad who was leaving the position and reached out.

Another case in point: Faculty and alumni are strengthening Michigan Tech's Cirque
De Soleil connection.

2017 graduate Jason Scott, who completed bachelor's degrees in both theatre and entertainment
technology and mechanical engineering, was the first VPA student to intern with Cirque,
in summer 2015, says professor Mary Carol Friedrich, theater and entertainment technology
program director.

In summer 2016 two more majors, Devin Miller (working as a rigger at Disney World
where several alumni started their careers) and Michael Schmitz (who worked for the
Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus until the show closed), also interned
with Cirque.

"As they normally receive 400 applications from all over the country and only interview
40 for 26 slots, it is rare for any university to provide more than one intern, much
less three. That was when we were contacted by Cirque's employment and internship
coordinator. We've had several subsequent conversations with Cirque at the United
States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT) annual conference, discussing our
program and what we can do to continue to enhance the student experience here to make
it advantageous for their future careers," says Friedrich. "As is not uncommon in
a small program, we have graduated some groups of students so right now the students
are younger overall. We did not have any interns at Cirque last summer but expect
to in the near future. We have had many students in all sorts of summer stock positions."

A Market for Voices

Paige Borel, in a scene from Tennessee Williams' Southern Nights, is carving out her
niche in the industry.

"The best piece of advice I received is that working in this industry is going to
be tough (and that’s an understatement), but if it’s your true passion, something
that makes you feel alive, then you must do it," says Borel. "After graduation I moved
to Chicago and landed my first role with a small theatre company. After the first
show closed I signed a contract with the company to be a principal actor and dance
captain. I did a few shows and musicals with the company and loved every minute of
my first paid acting contract."

Competition for traditional acting jobs is fierce. "You really have to be diverse
to be employed as a performer," says Patricia Helsel, program director for theatre
and electronic media performance. "It's a combination of talent, persistence, training,
and entrepreneurship."

Through the 1950s, new theater programs sprang up. In the '70s programs remained theater-centered,
as TV and radio broadcasting programs began popping up. "Even now, rarely do you see
programs like ours that cross over into all realms of the business," says Helsel.
But she was an early adapter. Helsel has her MFA in acting and directing, but her
first paying gig was a phone recording on an answering machine.

"It created a real turnaround for me. I started to be aware of where voices are recorded
…" Like subways, elevators, grocery stores. Retail landscapes are also a large piece
of the work available to set and sound designers.

"Here we are in Houghton. We can work from our studios."Patricia Helsel, VPA associate professor of theatre

After the difficult birth of her daughter, Mueller scrapped her straight-to-grad-school
plan. "I'm content to be alive and just be here with my family. Grad school will still
be there once I'm ready. I'm starting my fourth book, so still considered a fresh-faced
newbie to the industry. Most professionals agree 40 to 50 books in you're 'experienced.'"
The voice actor auditions through ACX, an audible/Amazon company. Authors listen,
and choose their preferred voice.

Voice actor Dollcie Mueller's schedule gives her the gift of time with her daughter.

Audiobook voice actors are paid either per finished hour or via royalty share contracts.
Total time for a project: about seven hours of narrating, recording, and editing not
including reading, researching, and prepping the book.

Young Program, Sound Success

"These programs are very new," says Visual and Performing Arts Department Chair Jared Anderson. The first VPA degrees, in sound and theatre technology, began in 2005. But adding
the A to science, technology, engineering, and is rapidly gaining STEAM. "Ken (Showler)
is one of our very early grads."

Showler won an award in 2011 for his work on the Rockettes Christmas Spectacular at
Radio City Music Hall, was lead AV (audiovisual) integrator on Ferrari Theme Park
in Dubai and now heads the North American Office of 7thSense Design, a creative software
and technology company with offices in the US and based in the UK, where it awarded
the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise Innovation. Currently based in lower
Michigan, Showler worked at Forest Post in Detroit as a sound for picture designer.
He's worked on systems for massive outdoor spectacles, indoor aquariums, planetariums,
and numerous other installations all over the world.

Zak L'Italien says it's satisfying to help other students make international connections.

Showler, and VPA students like audio production and technology major Zachery L'Italien,
2018, work with professor and sound and audio programs designer Christopher Plummer. The industry pro has deep experience and a broad career base ranging from sound
system consulting and design to live sound reinforcement. Recognized nationally for
his innovative teaching, Plummer has live-mixed for renowned performers like Ravi
Shankar and recorded the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra.

L'Italien, currently spending his second semester abroad in Uruguay, interned with
Walters-Storyk Design Group in summer 2017. "I have a minor in International Spanish.
I would love to be involved with a firm that takes on projects in all parts of the
world to keep international ties, much like the firm I was working for this summer,"
says the Michigan Tech International Programs and Services ISA (International Studies Abroad) global ambassador.

So You Wanna Be in Show Biz . . .

Michigan Tech graduates share their favorite memories, tips for current students,
and career advice:

Ken Showler: Don't Lock Down Your Story

"Pursue a job doing something you think you are good at, and doing something you believe
you could enjoy for a long time, but don't lock down your story. Give great consideration
to the sort of recurring themes of good or bad comments/advice about your skills or
personality that you receive from people you respect in your career and personal life.
And try to recognize when an opportunity comes your way, or doesn't, and why. While
it's important to try very hard, and have self-confidence in what you think you want
and what you think you're good at, also keep listening to what the world is telling
you, and consider if/when a change of direction could be the best path for your happiness.
You're likely to be a lot happier, and more effective, if you land in a company of
people who recognize and appreciate your skills and efforts."

Mark Henshaw: Got a Show Idea? Pitch it!

"Pitching a show is relatively easy, I’ve learned. Production companies are constantly
in search of new material. If you have an idea for a show, watch the genre, see what
companies produce them, then send or call them with your ideas. Seriously, it can
be that simple."

Zak L'Italien's favorite classes (so far):

Live Sound Design Intensive— "I was on a systems design crew of five for two live
theatrical performances. (Designing the way sound is physically implemented in the
space with speakers, computers, software, networking, cable, etc.) This taught me
the importance of relying on a team and how much easier a job can be when you work
together. It also showed me how conflicting ideas and learning curves can set you
back. We learned a ton during this class about how your ideas can incorporate with
the ideas of others on the team, as well as how to communicate across different aspects
of the show (i.e. sound designers, set designers, props, etc.)."

Advanced Sound Practicum—"You propose your own project, and work on something you
are truly interested in. This helped me learn acoustics, manufacturing, and prototyping
concepts. I was involved in designing cost-effective acoustic diffusers. Classes like
this inspire creativity, and dive into the topics that help you choose a career."

One of Dollcie Mueller's favorite memories:

"At a tech rehearsal for Brighton Beach Memoirs, my character was supposed to read this heartbreaking letter to the audience. I opened
the letter, walked downstage and started reciting the monologue—then I glanced down
at the letter and saw what was actually written in it: a tirade about Nicki Minaj
and Avatar Korra and some other ridiculous thing. It was absolutely hysterical. I
completely broke character and started laughing—ruining this beautiful moment on stage.
I found out later that one of my friends had been asked to help write up the prop
letters, but was not given details about the contents or purpose. It was her letter
that had been out on the props table and used in that scene. It wasn't intended to
be read by anyone. We had to start the scene over. The director was miffed, but my
friend and I still laugh about it today."

Tyler Harry on Road Life—and Four-foot Dinosaurs

"Time is the most tedious part of working in the field. This kind of work is not 9-to-5,
40 hours a week, with weekends off. You work at night and weekends for shows. You
will miss birthdays, holidays, and other big days. You will be moving around a good
amount in your early years. You put up with all of this because you love doing your
job."

"My favorite class was advanced backstage technology. We learned how to scale objects
up and down. Our professor had us enlarge an eight-inch dinosaur to a four-foot built
of plywood. The project took three weeks and about 100 hours, but making a four-foot
dinosaur is one of the coolest things I've ever done in school."

Archaeology Grad is in on the Act

Industrial heritage and archaeology graduate Marc Henshaw parlayed a passion for his
major into a show business gig. Henshaw, a 2007 undergraduate who went on to earn
his PhD in industrial archaeology from Tech (he earned his master's in anthropology
from Western Michigan University) became an onscreen consultant for the National Geographic
Show Diggers right out of school.

"I graduated in August 2014 and by the end of the month I was with the film crew!"Marc Henshaw, '07, '14, onscreen consultant for the 10 episodes on the fourth season
of Diggers.

The Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based firm Michael Baker International called him after
it was hired as consultant for Diggers, which like other shows in the metal-detecting, dig-it-up reality TV genre, faced
growing backlash concerning ethical practices. Henshaw had been following the controversy.
"They showed all manner of horrible looting, from the use of backhoes to monetizing
the artifacts. I wrote a scathing blog post denouncing these shows and worked with
my local avocational archaeological societies in letter-writing campaigns. The Society
for American Archaeology (SAA) and the Society for Historical Archaeology (SHA) also
began an aggressive campaign to have these shows pulled off the air," he says.

"The producers were feeling the pressure to turn the show around and work with the
archaeological community. They were partnering with the SAA and SHA to review every
episode before it aired and to remove the monetization of the artifacts. Baker wanted
someone with a high ethical standard and who wasn’t afraid to be a stickler for regulations,
recording of finds, and treatment of the artifacts. The producers of the show were
worried I’d be too hard on them, and in some cases I was hard on them."

"The show had its detractors, even after I was on," says Henshaw, who continued working
with Michael Baker International into 2017, when he helped open a Detroit branch of
the company. Currently he's focused on publishing the research he conducted at Tech
and his archaeology blog, archaeologydude.com.

"I think I helped build relationships with communities, teaching that artifacts have
a context that adds to their meaning. By simply ripping artifacts from the ground,
they lose that meaning," Henshaw says.

"The value of artifacts is not monetary. Value cannot be placed on an item that tells
part of a larger story of the past. Alone, an artifact ripped from its wider context
has no value, but placed into a larger view of a site, then it’s invaluable."Marc Henshaw

Michigan Tech Scientific and Technical Communication graduates are also represented
in the TV and film industry. A former feature film development executive with Steven
Spielberg's DreamWorks Studios, 1982 graduate Suzanne Jurva's impressive list of film credits includes Amistad, Deep Impact, and Saving Private Ryan. The producer and filmmaker has made several documentaries, including The Fabulous Ice Age and Yoopera! Her work has been seen on national networks, PBS to NBC.

Most recently, another STC graduate, Eric Michael Johnson landed a two-episode role
in the 2016 premiere season of the NBC hit series This is Us, as the drummer at a fitness camp.

Chemical engineering major Clara Peterson, acting in Haroun and the Sea of Stories,
says the arts add balance and joy to her busy life.

Where Smart Meets Art

Students, faculty, and staff conceptualize, experiment, create, and crew in gallery,
studio, and performance spaces, many centered in the Rozsa, the region's premier performing arts center here on campus adjacent to the Walker
Arts and Humanities Building.

"I tell my students that as they become more confident in their creativity it will
make them a better engineer, mathematician, or forester." Noted watercolorist and
Visual and Performing Arts professor emerita Mary Ann Beckwith's words come alive
on campus, where students from all disciplines connect with the arts.

Just ask chemical engineering major—and actress, vocalist, and dancer—Clara Peterson,
who serves as vice president of Michigan Tech's Alpha Psi Omega chapter of the National
Theatre Honor Society. Finding time between intense schoolwork (Peterson also minors
in international Spanish), and working co-op or part-time jobs, is a feat well worth
the effort, she says. "Being involved with VPA and the arts is nice stress relief.
Theatre and music keep me sane in a world of math and science, so I put in the time
to commit to a production and several concerts each semester.

"The arts bring real magic into this world. All it takes is one step on stage to become
fully immersed in the beauty and awe of artistic passion."Clara Peterson, 2020

"The friendships I have made with my fellow theatre and choir geeks will last a lifetime!
There are no other people like drama and music people! The VPA is honestly one big
family."

Michigan Technological University is a public research university, home to more than
7,000 students from 54 countries. Founded in 1885, the University offers more than
120 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering,
forestry, business and economics, health professions, humanities, mathematics, and
social sciences. Our campus in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula overlooks the Keweenaw Waterway
and is just a few miles from Lake Superior.

Sound Design—The BA program focuses on sound effects in the context of storytelling, including
films, TV, theater, video games, and theme parks.

Audio production and technology —The BS program focuses on modern sound production, studio to stage, theme parks
and beyond.

Theatre arts, technical theatre, art, music, music composition, and music performance
are offered as minors—but are a major reason why Michigan Tech is so unmistakably Michigan Tech. STEAM may be the new buzzword, but artsy geeks of the Husky breed have been strutting
their stuff in tuxedos, costumes, and those trademark striped overalls for generations.
The marriage of science, technology, engineering, art, and math is as ingrained as
a Mike Irish jazz lick or the joyful sounds—and service—of our globe-trotting concert
choir.